PC201: SANITATIONSMART START Pool School

WHAT IS SANITATION?

➤ In pools and spas, sanitation refers to the prevention and control of bacteria in water.

➤ Unlike other pool care aspects, sanitation must be constant in a body of water to prevent bacteria and algae growth.

➤ Sanitation may not directly correlate with water clarity; it is possible to have enough sanitizer in the water and to still have issues with clarity.

➤ The amount of sanitizer required is dependent upon each individual pool or spa; the only way to know if enough is present is frequent testing.

TYPES OF SANITIZER

➤ The most common sanitizer used in pools and spas is chlorine.

➤ Many systems use trichlor-based products, such as 3” chlorine tablets or compressed sticks. These dissolve slowly and provide a slow, consistent dose of sanitizer. They should be replenished when they run low.

➤ Some systems opt for dichlor-based products, like Super Soluble. These dissolve quickly at normal operating temperatures (approximately 78°F). The only way to know if enough sanitizer is present is to test for it.

➤ Pools equipped with chlorine generators produce chlorine with the use of an electrolytic cell and salt.

TYPES, CONTINUED

➤ Bromine is a less popular sanitizer for pools, but very common in spas.

➤ Like chlorine, bromine can be found in tablet or granular form and is usually stabilized with a small amount of chlorine.

➤ Biguanide (PHMB) is a non-chlorine sanitizer that is found in liquid form. It is incompatible with chlorine products!

CHOOSING A SANITIZER

➤ For most pools, trichlor-based products dispensed from a chlorine feeder, floater, or skimmer are the best choice.

➤ For skimmer application, the pump must run 24 hours a day or the chlorine used should contain SmartGuard (Smart SilkGuard Sticks) to stop dissolving when the pump is off.

➤ Dosing for these products is based on the gallons of the pool and average daily usage. Generally, you will want to use 1 tablet or stick for every 5,000gal of water weekly.

➤ Check tablets and sticks regularly; do not allow feeders, floaters, or skimmers to run completely empty!

CHOOSING A SANITIZER, CONTINUED

➤ Pools which do not want to use slow-dissolving chlorine may use dichlor-based products instead.

➤ Super Soluble is fast-dissolving, but it is important to brush the product if it settles to avoid damage to the pool surface.

➤ Always apply the product with the pump running and leave off all pool covers for a minimum of eight hours to prevent damage from the gas produced when chlorine dissolves.

➤ Always apply this product to the main body of the pool; do not add this product through the skimmer!

➤ A note about trichlor- and dichlor-based chlorine: these products contain a stabilizer that slows the destruction of chlorine from UV rays, i.e. the sun. Indoor pools, pools with little usage, and pools that receive little sunlight may want to perform longer backwashes or more regular additions of water to keep this stabilizer level within acceptable ranges (<200ppm). You can confirm your stabilizer level by testing with The Pool & Spa House monthly.

WHAT ABOUT SALT?

➤ Salt pools are chlorine pools!

➤ With the use of an electrolytic cell, the pool takes salt and produces unstabilized (not protected from sunlight) chlorine as the primary sanitizer.

➤ These pools should check their salt levels monthly and adjust to keep within the recommended ranges provided by their cell’s manufacturer. Additionally, stabilizer should be kept within acceptable levels to protect the chlorine produced from being burned off by sunlight.

➤ Salt pools may also want to supplement their sanitizer level with the use of a fast-dissolving dichlor-based product.

WHICH IS RIGHT FOR ME?

➤ Talk to your water care specialist at The Pool & Spa House to determine the best choice of sanitizer for you.

➤ Think about how often you would like to add sanitizer, how often you are able to run your pool pump, and how much use and sunlight your pool gets during the summer.

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